December 2015

February 25, 2007

So here I am back in Syria. When Ibn Battuta traveled he consolidated several journeys into one trip - I am not so much consolidating, as engaging in obligatory backtracking. When I left Israel and Palestine I flew to Jordan then drove to Syria. I am now on the last day of my search of the obscure and obsurer.

“Qasiyun is a mountain on the north side of Damascus - al-Salihiya lies at its foot - celebrated for its blessedness, being the place of ascent of the Prophets (on them be peace.) Among its holy sanctuaries is the cave in which was born Ibrahim al-Khalil (On him be peace.) It is a long and narrow cave over which has been built a mosque with a tall minaret. It was from that cave that he saw the star, the moon and the sun as is related in the Exalted Book.”

The indefatigable Khaled and I set off. We climbed Mt. Qassioun twice. Or to be more accurate, we drove half way. I still have no idea how this was in fact accomplished. The narrow streets of Mt. Qassioun make those of the perched villages in the south of France seem like wide boulevards, they wind around improbable angles and cling to the curve of the hill on faith alone. Miraculously traffic moves in both directions, jaw-dropping disbelief has obliterated from my mind how. When we reached as far as we could go, I got out to visit one of the caves on the list. I had no idea which one it was as the names have changed and not even Iranians pilgrims visit here. I went inside, the key being held by a woman living nearby who had spotted me toiling up the hill. She came with me, but when I asked her if this was one of the caves mentioned by Ibn Battuta, she told me it had something to do with Fatima, but I could not quite figure out what. Even when Khaled joined us, panting and gasping from the steep walk, he could not determine from what she said which cave this represented in Ibn Battuta’s pantheon of caves. It was not particularly interesting to me and the only thing that interested her was that I give the baksheesh to her only and not to another woman who had silently appeared behind me. This she conveyed by a series of nods, silent mouthing, raised eyebrows and much eyeball darting to the left - it was quite comedic. A view of Damascus from Mt. Qassioun.

December 21, 2006

Back on the trail of the now truly obscure - even the Ministry of Awqaf (Islamic Endowments) had no idea where the last of Ibn Battuta’s ‘list of the late illustrious’ were to be found - I am finding out that some have moved...... is this something peculiar to denizens of Syria’s cemeteries? “Oh, yes, he moved - he’s not here now,” I have been told on more than one occasion. Quite why they have moved remains a complete mystery.....did someone else want their spot?

In an area between the Old City and Ath-Thawra street called Sarouja, is the Najmiya madrasa which was not in fact a madrasa but a convent. Ibn Battuta mentions it as one of the many in the city,

“The Hanbalites have many colleges, the largest of them being the Najmiya college.”

Now it is a small mosque with two large, dusky pink-domed, white-washed tombs in the corner, but that day we could not find anyone who knew who they were - perhaps they house some of my ‘lost’ cemetery occupants.

The little Najmiya Mosque now almost lost in a busy intersection of the city.

December 20, 2006

One of the first things you learn about medival Islam is that the four schools of Sunni Islam mattered much more then than they do today. Ibn B as a North African was Maliki which is austere, but not quite as austere as Hanbali. Shafi, which was the main school in Damascus at the time, and Hanafi schools are more ‘liberal’. Ibn Battuta often relates amusing tales of disputes between various qadis - perhaps because he became one himself. Here he relates a story about the famous Islamic theologian, Taqi ad-Din Taimiya, who was frequently imprisoned by the authorities for his conduct and pronouncements.

“There was living in Damascus a certain Taqi ad-Din Taimiya, one of the principal Hanbalite doctors there, a man greatly esteemed and able to discourse on various sciences, but with some kink in his brain.”

December 19, 2006

It is not always easy searching for 14th century graves in a city like Damascus which has mushroomed in recent years, but one Friday morning Khaled and I set out to pay our respects to those whom Ibn Battuta deemed worthy of mention, almost 700 years ago. We began in the east part of the city,

“In the village called al-Maniha to the east and at a distance of four miles from Damascus, is the grave of Sa’ad ibn Obada. Over the grave there is a small and nicely built mosque and at its head is a stone with this inscription: ‘This is the grave of Sa’ad ibn Obada, chief of the Khazraj and Companion of the Apostle of God, bless and give him peace.’

His story is a curious one; he was indeed elected chief of the Khazraj tribe after the death of the Prophet Mohammed, but the decision was voided by the election of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr. Ibn Obada refused allegiance to Abu Bakr and was exiled to Syria where he died in 636. Legend however says he was killed by the jinn...... A new, large (and rather unattractive) mosque is now built over his tomb.

“In a village to the south of town and a league distant from it is the tomb of Umm Kulthum, daughter of Ali ibn Abu Talib by Fatima. It is said that her name is Zainab......the people of Damascus call it the grave of the Sitt Umm Kulthum.”

Not anymore, it is now known as Sayyida Zainab and you cannot miss it. The Iranians have built an enormous shrine in her honor in their style; gold dome, blue tile, calligraphy, and inside, lots of mirrored glass. I was once chased out of this shrine by a furious official and I am still not sure why.

November 14, 2006

Damascus, Syria.This post is devoted to The Ummayad Mosque. Not only is it the fourth holiest Islamic site for many Muslims but Ibn Battuta (deservedly) spends ten pages of his book describing its marvels.

“This is the greatest Mosque on earth in point of magnificence, the most perfect in architecture and the most exquisite in beauty, grace and consummate achievement; no rival is known, no equal to it is in existence.”

Remarkably, given war, fire and earthquake, the building today is quite similar to what he would have seen in 1326.

November 13, 2006

Damascus, Syria.
Ibn Battuta made several journeys through Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon but in his ‘rihla’ or journey, he writes as if he visited most of it at one time. His timing is impossible according to his own record; he left Cairo circa July 18, 1326 and arrived in Damascus August 7, 1326 a time frame which suggests he must have gone straight there instead of ‘gallivanting’ around the Levant as he suggests. But whatever he did his route does not make sense and he zigzags all over in a way that is not even possible today. And so I too had to zigzag - not because I was condensing as he did, but because of 21st century politics.

I drove to Damascus in Syria from Amman, a journey of only three and a half hours including border time. Both Jordanian and Syrian immigration and customs are easy to navigate although in the case of Syria, if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport you will be denied entry.